An Orphan
by stupidteenager
Summary: She sat there. Alone. Her soulmate was gone. Her home. He sacrificed his life to save the town. I guess he was right. You realise that something is your home when you start missing it. She misses him. She didn't realise how much he meant to her while he was alive. She knew she loved him. But she also thought she couldn't be with him and that she had to move on. Spoilers season 3
1. Chapter 1

_She sat there. Alone. Her soulmate was gone. Her home. He sacrificed his life to save the town. I guess he was right. You realise that something is your home when you start missing it. She missed him. She didn't realise how much he meant to her while he was alive. She knew she loved him. But she also thought she couldn't be with him and that she had to move. Holding his dead body, she realised that she needed him. She wasn't being selfish. Their son needed him too…. His father needed him. Why does everything I loved disappeared? It's unfair. It has to be this new life. It wasn't made for her._

Emma made her decision. She couldn't stay in Storybrook anymore. Not without him. She had to move to New York. Get her old life. Before the curse, before the magic…before Henry. She had to run away. It was her best chance at having a normal life again. No matter how it would be hard, she couldn't let herself feel this way.

As she packed her last bags she heard someone say her name. It was her mom. She didn't turn around. She breathed, took her bags, open the front door and close it after her. She started running toward her yellow car. Their car. The one they stole. She pushed the thought out of her brain and enter the car. She saw Mary Margaret running after her but it was too late. She had made her decision. She didn't care. She never did. She gave up Henry because she was too young to be a mother. Well today, she still fell the same way. She was still a teenager who got her heart broken. She couldn't take care of a child.

It was a 4 hours ride. Blasting the music the louder she could, she forgot for a moment her problems. She was driving. It was something that she really liked back them. The feeling of independence. Being the only one that could control the destination.

In New York, she was in her old apartment. The one she was with Henry a few months ago. But it didn't matter. She erased every hints of him. She went to IKEA and bought different furniture. She needed a change.

It took her two weeks before she accepted that her apartment was now hers only. Nobody was living with her. She had her old life back. Still, something was missing. Him. Again. Every time she was back from her job, she sat at the kitchen counter and waited. She waited for hours at this place without moving. She needed to hear his voice. To see him. She didn't know what she could do. She did everything she thought could help her.

That's when she decided that she was going to live again. She took her red jacket and went outside. She walked in central park for hours. She walked until she forgot who she was.

And that was her new life. Each day, she would wake up and go to her job. When she finished, she would walk. It didn't matter where. She just needed to pass time. She didn't accept invitation from her coworkers. She didn't adopt a pet. She didn't meet someone. She was just alone in the big city, walking. And it was her life. She didn't like it. But she didn't hate it. And she forgot about him. At least, that's what she thought. Because during the day, he wasn't there. But when she went to sleep, she dreamed of him every night. She just decided not to acknowledge it. So for her, he wasn't there and she got over him. But we all know she didn't.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where's my mom?"

Mary Margaret just went back to the apartment and sat on her bed. She stayed there in silence for a few minutes before she heard Henry talking. She looked at him and started crying.

"She is gone. I'm so sorry Henry."

He sat side by side with her. He didn't know what to do, didn't know how to react. She left him in this weird town where he didn't know anybody. He always knew something was up.

"I knew it! My mom was hiding something from me. I'm so done with all of this! I want to understand what happened. First my dad and how her? What' sup with this town!?"

"I can probably explained", said a voice.

"Madam Mayor…"

"Sorry to interrupt, the door was open. I found the book. Henry we need your help. Do you trust your mom?"

"Trust her with what?"

"With why she went here and brought you with her."

"I guess I do. I trust my mom and I believe in her."

"Well, I think you know what to do."

Regina handed the book to him. It only took Henry to touch it to make him remember. Remember his life. He looked around a little bit perplexed but then saw Regina, his other mom. He hugged her for a good 30 seconds before he turned to his grandmother as did the same thing.

"I know we have to do something about my mom, but we have to defeat the wicked witch before something bad happen to all of us", said Henry.

"We are glad you are back Henry", confessed Mary Margaret.

"And although I hate to admit it, you are right. We have to do something about Miss Swan. She is the savior of this town and I think it's finally time she accepted the faith that was given to her", admitted Regina.

Henry smiled for answer before they all went chasing Zelena. And they did defeat her. Regina did it. Henry couldn't be prouder of his mom. She started being a good person. She was changing for him. After all this time! She was tired of being a villain. This way, she was going to have a happy ending. Even if Emma was missing, at least he could finally be happy with Regina.

And she sure as hell got her happy ending! While they were waiting for a sign of Emma, Regina was living with Henry again. Maybe he lost his biological parents, but he still had her mom. He was happy there. Things were really different than during the curse. Regina was seeing Robin and she seemed really happy. After all, maybe she deserved happiness. She had what she needed most: her son and a boyfriend. The town didn't hate her anymore and everything was going fine.

Well, maybe not everything. Henry was still looking for Emma. He was praying every day before going to bed that she would be back. But it seemed like God wasn't answering his prayers because she didn't come back.

At night, Henry was dreaming of her and something of him. In his dreams, they were no drama. Everybody was happy and nobody died. He wanted them to be true so badly, but he didn't put attention in his dreams because it wasn't the reality. He had accepted it. He knew he will never come back. And for his mother, he doubt he would ever see her again. If she decided she didn't want to be found, nobody would.

However, he was still hoping. That is why he sent Hook at her rescue. He didn't know where she was, but he knew she was still alive. Hook was glad to help. That is how one year after Emma's disappearance, Killian Jones went looking for his friend with no clue where she was.


	3. Chapter 3

It took Hook one week finding Emma. Henry didn't have an idea where she went so he decided to start looking in New York. It's where she lived before. It where he came looking for her in the first place. One week was the time it took him to use public transportation to New York from Storybrook. Wasn't so bad if you take in mind that Hook wasn't really great with this "new" century. Emma didn't want to talk to him. When she opened the door, he was smiling. She closed it with an angry expression. Killian Jones knew it was going to happen. So he decided to enter the apartment without being invited. Seeing him again, she started to yell to get out of her property or she was going to call the cop. Hook just sat there, looking at her. He waited till she calmed down.

"I know you are not happy", said Hook.

"I don't want to see you. You know that. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you, love."

"That's no true and we both know it."

"You have to come back to Storybrook!"

"I'm not going anywhere! This is my life now. It always been my life! I don't care about all this…all this drama! I'm NOT a savior and I'm NOT a mother nor a child!"

"Are you happy?"

Emma looked into Hook's eyes. She knew the answer to this question was "no", but she lied. She couldn't admit that she missed everyone. Hook knew the answer all too well too, but he acted like he has satisfied. He got up, walked to the door and got out. Emma whipped her eyes. She couldn't cry. She was a strong independent woman. She needed nobody in her life. She just had a hard time adjusting to this new reality. Even after a year. With this visit, Emma made it pass her bed time so she hurried to go to her bedroom.

She woke up hearing someone knocking on the door 1 hour before her alarm was set up. Rubbing her eyes, she got up slowly from bed as the knocking continue.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

She went to the bathroom in a hurry to fix her hair and ran to answer to whoever was knocking this early in the morning. As she opened the door, Hook pushed it so he could enter without Emma giving him permission.

"Rise and shine love!"

"What are you doing here so early in the morning?! I told you I didn't want to-

"Catch your breath darling, I wanted to see you."

"Stop lying"

"Come to Storybrook."

"I told you I didn't want! I have a life here!"

"Are you happy?"

This time Emma didn't answer. What was the point? He knew the answer. She knew the answer. Hook just nodded.

"I'll come back every day Swan. You need help. I'm here for you. Your mom, your dad…your son! I don't know if you remember but you have responsibility to take care of. It doesn't matter if you are not ready. That's life! Nobody is ready to deal with shit, but we still do it, you know! I'll come back Swan. I'll come back!"

With that, he leaved Emma breathless. She was feeling so lost. She knew she was needed in Storybrook but this town caused her so much pain. However she still decided to ignore it like she did all year. She went to her kitchen and made some eggs. After this event, her day was pretty much the same thing as usual.

When she went home, Hook was waiting in her apartment. They talked a little bit and he asked the same question he did before. "Are you happy?" After, he got up and leaved. This situation happened for a month. Morning and night, he will come inside without being invited and they would talk. After 5 minutes, he would ask if she was happy and she would stop smiling. She would look at him without moving. Killian would leave without another word exchanged and Emma would just sit in silence for an hour before starting to live again and doing normal stuff in her apartment. She acted like nobody came.

On the 31th day, Hook was beginning to feel tired. He didn't had much space to sleep. He found a place near the subway and he would try to sleep. But her couldn't. He didn't like this place. It was so different from home….so…scary! He wouldn't admit it but all this noise was making him uncomfortable. Also, he didn't know what to do with Emma. He knew he couldn't leave her but, on the other hand, during the year, she built walls. Gigantesque walls that was making her forget who she was. After thinking, he decided that tonight would be the last time he went to see her. If she changed her mind, she knew where to find him. In Storybrook. He couldn't do anything.

He walked in Emma's apartment. She was already sitting on the couch waiting for him.

"You don't look good. Everything's alright? ", asked the savior.

"You are making my job quite difficult love", said Hook with honesty.

"Thought you were a pirate, not a hero!"

"I tried. But I guess I'm failing."

"Why?"

"Because I still want to know if you are happy."

Emma took a breath, looked at her hands, shook them, looked at Hook and said "No, I'm in fact not happy". The look on Hook's face was priceless. With a shocked expression, he started smiling. Emma laughed. The sound of it made her realise that she was glad that her friend was there. It made her happy. And it's been a while since she felt this way.

"Then darling, you are coming with me!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: This is a swanfire fanfiction**

"I guess we are going to take my car. It's not a long ride. We'll be there at 2 am. Not that bad."

"While you are driving I'll rest a bit. I didn't sleep quite well this month," expressed Hook.

"Why?" Asked Emma curious.

"I slept outside, near the subway."

"What? You should have rent a room in a hotel! Oh…you don't have money…well you could have ask me….Oh yeah, I wouldn't have accept… I don't know. I guess I'm sorry."

"No worry love. I did this for the whole town."

The conversation ended there. By leaving, Emma changed everyone lives. Even if she didn't want to admit it, everybody was expecting her to be the hero, a mother, a child, a friend. It was a lot of pressure for someone with issues like Emma and Hook knew it, but it was best for everyone if she came back to Storybrook. Hook just hadn't told her why yet.

As he slept, Emma thought of her future. Could she have a normal life again? The answer was no. This answer only bought more questions. Like what's next? , is she going to date again? , could she do that to Neal? , could she started over with her son? She remembered all the dreams she had about Neal. She couldn't denied it anymore. Not with Hook by her side. She needed to face the reality so she could move on. She needed to see Mr. Gold. He probably had something that could help her. She needed to start fresh. She thought she was going to do it in New York, but it turned out not to be the solution. She was going to try in Storybrook. Start over with Killian, her mother, her father, Regina….and her son.

Killian moved in his sleep causing her to escape her brain. She looked at him for a second before focusing for the rest of the ride on the road. As she entered the town, she passed her home and went straight to Mr. Gold's shop. It was late but the light were still on. She didn't wake up her friend. He needed rest and even if her car wasn't really comfortable, it was better than the street. She would take care of him for the night by bringing him to the apartment. She closed the door and walk through the shop.

As she entered, Rumplestilskin didn't move. He stayed concentrate executing a spell.

"What can I do for you dearie. Didn't think you would come back."

"Didn't know you would still be up at this time!"

"Can't sleep," he said. He finally looked at Emma. His face was turning white. He looked tired, like he didn't have a good night of sleep since she left. The circle under his eyes made him scarier. His eyes were empty. He was acting like he lost everything.

"You looked…." Expressed Emma.

"You are not here for me, are you? Let's talk about you."

"Oh yeah… Can't sleep either. While I can…But…Okay…I'll start again; Since I left, I dreamed each night of him. It's unhealthy, I know. I don't know what do so it can stop. It needs to stop if I want a new life. It's why I want your help."

Mr. Gold looked surprised as if she announced him that she was dead. He tried to talk but couldn't. He turned around but hit the door. A big noise echoed through the shop. Emma heard footsteps and Belle appeared from the back of the shop. She looked tired as well.

"Rumple are you…Emma?!"

"Hello Belle, didn't think you would be there."

"Yeah, since he can't sleep, we stay in the shop. Rumple does his things and I stay in the back. There is a bed and I'm supposed to sleep but I'm mainly awake. I can't sleep with the thought that he isn't feeling great. I'm here for him, but he doesn't talk to me…"

"I'm okay Belle, thanks for your concerns. Go back to sleep, dear." Said calmly Mr. Gold.

"You sure?"

He nodded for answer. He watched her disappear and he turned to face Emma.

"You were saying, nightmares. I can't do anything about it. I'm working on it right now."

"Wait, you have nightmares too?" asked Emma.

"I believe you are not here to talk about me, are you?"

"Maybe it has a link?"

"I'm sure it doesn't, but if you insist. I don't dream because I can't."

"I don't understand?"

"Each time I sleep, I dreamed of him, but he isn't there. It's his shadow. Something is holding him back from seeing me."

"You are not the problem. You aren't dreaming of him because I do. It takes all his energy! He can't be at two places in the same place. And I'm keeping him from you."

"Been alive for centuries, dearie, and never heard of something like that."

"There is a beginning to everything!"

"What shall we do?"

"You tell me, you are the dark one."


	5. Chapter 5

**So glad you guys are enjoying this story! I love your reviews! Thanks for everyone who followed the story and reviewed!**

"I guess what I was doing won't work. We have to think about something new," Said Mr. Gold concerned.

"We should ask Belle… Maybe she could search for something in the library."

"I don't want to- "

"You have another idea?"

"Belle, could you come here, please."

Belle appeared rubbing her eyes.

"Did I wake you up?" Asked Gold.

"No it's okay. I'm here."

Emma briefly explained the situation to Belle. Belle nodded and got dressed to go to library shortly after.

"Dearie, I think it's time to go home. I'll call you if I got anything."

Emma went back to her car and drove until she was in front of the apartment. She needed to go, she knew it. She needed to see her loved ones. But it was so hard. It's like she was frozen. She couldn't move knowing she did something wrong. She murmured to herself that she couldn't do it. Woke up by the sound of Emma's voice, Hook yawned causing Emma to look at him.

"I'll go with you," Said Hook with a smile. His voice was calm, soothing. He got out of the car and opened hers like a gentlemen. The gesture made Emma smile. Seeing it, Killian expressed "You see, I knew I could help you, love. " He took her left hand and they walked together.

They were standing in front of the door. The door that was separating her form her old life.

Giving Emma a kiss on the cheek he said to her "I know you can do it. I'll leave you with your family. Don't worry about me." He knocked on the door to be sure Emma wouldn't run away and leaved. She heard footsteps and her mom asking David who could it be. The door slowly showed Mary Margaret in her pyjama with a concern expression on her face. At the sight of her daughter, she started crying and called her husband.

"David...David…You…"

David came to see what was happening in the living room. He saw Emma looking down, holding her tears while his wife was going to embrace her.

"Emma…"

"I'm sorry"

"Come in…"

David closed the door and they all walked to the couch. Emma sat in the middle while her father and her mother sat to each side of their daughter. Emma begun sobbing so hard she couldn't stop. She was explaining the situation but it was impossible to understand. She put her head on the shoulder of her mother and stopped shaking but she was still cring. David rubbed her back. He looked at Mary Margaret clueless. She answered him with a smile that was saying they couldn't abandoned her no matter her mistakes. They stayed like that for the rest of the night. Emma ended up sleeping in her mother's arms. If it wasn't for this complicated situation, she would appreciate the trust Emma was giving her. It was one of their more intimate moment since she came to Storybrooke. The kind of intimacy a daughter and a mother should have.

The alarm rang. It was time to get up. David woke up first and closed the alarm. The job was going to wait for him and Snow. They had to save their daughter from her biggest fears. He kissed Emma's forehead and stretched. Sleeping on the couch was pretty hard and not that comfortable. However, he was glad his daughter came. She went missing for a year and since then, not a day passed without him or Snow missing her terribly. He heard some noise and put his gazed on the couch.

Mary Margaret had woken up and was running her fingers through Emma's blonde hair. During the night, her head fell on her laps. She was enjoying the proximity with her daughter after all the time they were apart. The movement of Snow's fingers slowly woke up Emma. Noticing where she was, she got up the fastest she could and apologize.

"No need sweetie. We are here for you."

Emma put her hair in a ponytail and sat next to her mother. David joined them with three cups of hot chocolate. Two of them contained cinnamon. They all drank a little bit and waited. Emma was the first to break the silence. "Don't contact Henry, yet. I'll talk to him soon."

"You need your time. We understand it," Said Snow with a smile

"What happened?" Asked David tired of waiting.

"David! Don't rush her!"

"It's okay, mom. I got this." Emma took another sip from the cup and sighted. "I love you guys. I really do. And I really love Henry. Don't ever doubt that. I just…loved Neal in a quite different way. I knew him before the curse. He was the first person to ever love me for who I was." David tried to interrupt her but Mary Margaret mad a sign with her hand to stop him. She knew that if one of them talked, Emma would shut up and never talked to them again about the situation.

"I had to go back to my root. Running away. It has to be before the curse, before Henry and…before him. I had to be the lost girl I was before. The orphan. No family. I know it's hard to understand, but I couldn't let myself feel. He leaved me three time, mom. And each time, it felt like a part of me was gone. He was my soulmate. I just know it. And now he is gone. Forever. But then, I dreamed of him. It was too much for me to handle. So I came to Storybrooke with the help of Hook. I talked to Mr. Gold and I learned that when he sleeps, he dreams of Neal's shadow. And it's hard to explain but I think we are connected. Neal is stuck in my dreams. Belle is looking for a clue."

The whole time Emma was explaining the situation, Mary Margaret was nodding and encouraging her to continue. Emma needed to feel like her parents were there for her no matter how much they were mad that she leaved. She needed them. And that's what parents are for. Being there for when their child is not feeling great. After the ending of the story, they hugged her and promised to never leave her side.


	6. Chapter 6

Three hours was gone since she explained to her parents the situation. Emma was in the same position, sitting in the couch, her legs crossed, looking ahead of her. Her parents hadn't left her side. The television was on. A documentary about deforestation was playing, but nobody really paid attention. Everybody was pretending to watch it. Has the calm voice of the narrator echoed in the living room, Mary Margaret was constantly checking her daughter. She wanted her to feel safe, happy, but she didn't know what to do. She seemed so… _lost_. Her only movement was her contraction and release of her stomach proving that she was still breathing. Without the small gesture, Snow would have thought she was dead. She wasn't even blinked+. She was far away, thinking about a mystery. On the other side of the couch, David was worrying too. He appreciated his daughter with all his heart, but things were difficult when she was there. The whole family dynamic was changing. She was always in and out. It feel like she didn't belong with them. He would never admit it out loud, but he liked the way things were before she came back. She was her child for sure, but was she really part of his family?

The documentary ended. It was announced that the program after it was going to be about a show named Living with the Dead. Emma never heard of it, but her instinct were telling her to close the television. That this show was going to be about something she wouldn't want to hear. Brushing some hair that had fallen on her face, she got up and put the television on off. Mary Margaret was following each of her movements with her eyes. David got bored and got up too, walking through the kitchen to get to the bedroom. He needed to rest and stop thinking about this situation. Emma took her jacket and left. Mary Margaret begun heading in the direction of the door, but it was too late. The young adult was going.

Snow was getting an impression of deja-vu. Flashbacks were rushing through her mind of Emma leaving everything behind because of the loss of Neal. Tears were coming her eyes and she couldn't stop it. She was being selfish and she knew it, but Emma really affected her when she leaft. She wanted to be glad, but she was so scared. She left her daughter two time and both time she returned more fragile. In addition, it was really hard for her. She felt like was a bad mother. She wasn't good enough to keep her only child. Was that a sign that she wasn't made to have kids? Trying to wipe her tears, she curled into the couch. She couldn't stop sobbing. All of these thoughts about being a bad mother, _person_ , were setting into her head. She tried her best to be good to Emma, to treat with the respect and love she deserved, but she wasn't succeeding. She ended up sleeping a bit and was woken up by the door opening. Looking to see the guest, she saw Emma removing her boots. The blond girl turned and faced her mother. Emma noticed Mary Margaret had the print of the texture of the couch on her forehead proving that she was lengthen for a long it, probably sleeping. Looking further, she saw that her eyes here red and puffy like she has been crying for a long time. She seemed tormented. Emma starting panicking. She had cause this, she knew it. She tried to put a poker face but deep down, she knew she shouldn't have come. Everything she touched was broken. She was a mess. She nodded her head before walking through the stairs that was leading to her ancient bedroom and Henry's.

Talking of Henry, during her time outside, Emma decided to take a walk. She needed to stop thinking. Everything was too much. As she walked, she found herself in front of the mayor white house. She stayed there for a good couple of minutes. Just starting at the window that was separating from seeing him. But she couldn't do it. Not yet. She knew it wasn't healthy for him. She couldn't act like nothing change. She was not ready to explain to him why she left. He needed to know it wasn't because of him, she was the problem. She always was.

Back in her bedroom, Emma laid on the bed on her back, facing the cealing. Things were different now. She was different. She had broken the trust of her family. Why the fuck would Hook bring her back? She felt worse than ever before. At least, in New York, she could pretend like nothing of this ever happen. In this town, in the house, she couldn't do it. She had to face her mistakes. The only problem was that she didn't had the strength in her. She was too weak, fragile: got hurt too many time. _Who am I?_ The only answer she could find was an _orphan_. She was back at it. She hated Killian for making her come back. She couldn't leave again. It was too late. She missed her chance. She was stuck here, destroying everything she touched. She couldn't see her son. She couldn't get up again. She was trouble. Always been, always be.

Having a rush of adrenaline, she got up and started hitting the shelf that contains some of Henry's favorite book. Having too much energy in her, it felt causing a big sound to echo through the whole apartment. But she couldn't stop. She continue kicking it. The wood was slowly destroying. Emma was not seeing thing straight. Everything was a blur in her mind. She wasn't controlling herself. She turned and saw the desk Henry used to do his homework on. With her arms, she pushed every furniture that was laying there. By this time, David had woken up and ran to see the cause all this noise. To say the place was mess would be a euphemism. The place was a _disaster_. He had never see a place that felt so _broken_. He looked at Emma who was still punching what was used to be a desk. Now, it was only pieces of wood like it never existed. He observed that Emma was injured. She wasn't realising it because she was lost in her world, but her knuckles were bleeding and her hands were slowly turning blue because of the blood circulation in her body. She was crying so hard that her eyes were red like blood. Mary Margaret finally came and saw that her husband was watching the disaster happening without doing anything. She looked to see her daughter. She couldn't understand what was happening but she knew she had to do something about it. Otherwise, Emma was going to kill herself. The more time passed, the more Emma was losing it. She had now moved to a wall that had a frame. It was a drawing Henry made her the first day after she came to Storybrooke. As she took it, Mary Margaret wrapped her in her arms. Emma tried to free herself but Snow had a better grip than she did. David was still in shock, not moving. Mary Margaret had to do things by herself. She stayed in that position for a while, waiting for Emma to calm down but it wasn't happening. The only solution was to bring her to the hospital. Emma was losing a lot of blood and by crying and screaming so much, she had difficulty breathing. She got up with Emma still in her arms and slowly they got down the stairs. At this point, Emma was shaking. Mary Margaret was doing her best to be present for Emma in this difficult time. They walked until they reached the hospital. Emma was still in this weird place but at least was coopering with her mother even though Snow doubted that her daughter knew who was holding her.

When they entered the hospital, doctor Whale automatically noticed something was wrong and it was a urgent situation so he took Emma on his charge and went away leaving Mary Margaret alone in the waiting room with a desperate look on her face.


	7. Chapter 7

_I guess there is a moment in life when you realise you lost everything. You aren't yourself anymore. Things have to change. Otherwise, you aren't going to survive._ These four sentences were repeated in Emma's head for a good amount of time before everything went black again.

Emma was asleep on the hospital bed since 3 hours. Dr. Whale had put her on sleeping medication. When he took her from the arms of Mary Margaret, Emma's condition was worse than ever. She was screaming so loud that her face was red. Her breathing was irregular and she was close to pass out. Something needed to be done. He looked at the body and wondered what was next. The medication he had given her would only last for 30 minutes or so. After, everything would be the same as they were before. He sat on the chair and tried to think. He was a doctor god damn it! He was supposed to know what to do in emergency situation like this one. The only problem was that he didn't study in psychology and Emma was having a mental break down for sure. He decided to call Archie. He didn't like this man but he promised Mary Margaret that he would do his best to save her daughter and he thought it was the only solution.

After only a ring Archie answered. He was surprised by the reason of the call but understood the danger. He ended the call saying he would come the fastest he could. He only lived 15 minutes from the hospital but the doctor couldn't take any chances of Emma waken up. He took Emma's body and climb down the stairs that was leading to the psychology department. He never went to this place. It was usually a place only for Regina where she kept people she didn't appreciate back in the Enchanted Forest like Belle. But this time, he gave himself the right to be here. It was an emergency. The place was deserted. The walls were dirty but you could see they used to be white. There wasn't a lot of light. He took a deep breath. It was scary.

"What can I do for you?" Asked a woman. Whale jumped. He hadn't noticed someone was staring at him behind a secretary desk. Looking at her, he observed that she looked tired, unamused. _Regina probably made her work there because she didn't like her. Who is she? I don't think I ever saw her before. She must works here always. No sleep, no good food, no good light. Ouch_ " I'm here for a patient, Emma Swan", he made a movement showing the woman he was holding in his arms. Without any words, the secretary walked in a long corridor with the doctor shortly behind here. She brutally stopped causing Whale to hit here. She didn't even look at him making him believe she didn't notice. Which was strange. She opened a large black door. "This cell is for Emma Swan. It's been reserved for many years." With that, he put Emma's body on the fragile bed and got out without asking any questions. The door violently closed. They made their way back and Dr. Whale climb on the stairs. At his first step on his hospital, he was faced with Archie. He looked concern. "Where's Emma?" Whale pointed at the stairs. An expression of anger went on Archie's face but was soon replaced by disappointment. "You shouldn't had".

"I know"

"You should go talk to her mother. She seemed desperate. Can't blame her though. Emma is in danger and you know it"

With a nod, the doctor went on the waiting room while Archie went on the stairs. He was going to see Emma no matter how hard this was going to be. At first, when he went in Emma's cell, everything was fine. She seemed perfectly asleep. But one minute went on and she started moving in her sleep. She was gasping for air. She woke up shortly after and started screaming not knowing where she was. Archie knew better than to talk to her. It wouldn't do her any good. He sat next to the bed, on the floor. Emma finally seemed to have contact with the reality for half a second and noticed him. It only brings back the demons in her head and she started moving in the bed screaming syllables. Archie just looked at her. He was analyzing her. This was a rare case, but he may know what the problem was. He just sat there and watched her before he decided it was enough. This "session" was taking all of his energy and he knew it was doing the same to his new patient. He slowly got up and closed the door behind not without having a last glance at Emma. He kind of felt bad for her. If she was suffering from what he thought, it was going to be a hard process to come back from it alive. _If_ she didn't die before.

During this time, Dr. Whale came to see Mary Margaret. At his sight, she got up and started running towards him. She has been waiting on this exact spot for 3 hours and no one has come talk to her about the situation. She was feeling worried. She even tried to call Hook but he wasn't answering. She guesses her husband was still in the apartment. Probably cleaning the mess Emma did. She wasn't dumb. She knew David was having a hard time with Emma. It wasn't that he didn't love her, just that these transitions were hard on him. He wanted stability and Emma was the opposite of this. She was going to talk to him soon, but right now she needed to know what was happening to her daughter. It was her priority.

"It's with sadness that I have to inform you that Emma is not going to get better soon."

"How do you know? What's does she have? Can we help here? Did she stop screaming? Where is she? Are we going-"

"In the psychology department. We don't know what she is feeling right now but we are working on it, Archie and myself. Unfortunately, it's going to take a long time. She is…really sick." Snow looked devastated. She stopped breathing for a second before she started processing the information. "Am I going to be able to see her?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"Like I said, she is in the psychology department; in a cell. Nobody can't see her, yet with the exception of doctors."

"It's because of Neal, isn't it?"

"I'm no shrink, I'm only a doctor. You could ask Archie later. But you have to go. You seemed like you haven't had a proper night of sleep in days. Go get some rest." With that, Mary Margaret slowly went back to her home. She was so stress, but she, indeed, needed sleep. So back home, she went straight to bed and called for David to be with her. He gladly accepted without asking questions. Together, they cuddled and slept for the rest of the day.

Archie was talking with Dr. Whale. With a notepad in his hands, he was moving his arms with energy trying to prove his point to Dr. Whale but this one didn't seem to agree. "I'm telling you, Emma is only tired. Nothing to be alarmed."

"How can you say something like that? Emma is in danger. It was written in the prophecy! Hook told us! We should have listen to him and prepare our self so this...this situation would not be exist!"

"Are you really trusting a pirate on this?"

"Do we have another choice? We can save her. It will take time, but we can."

Dr. Whale just sat in silence. He agreed but asked to talk to Hook again before beginning to cure Emma. They needed to know what happened, what's happening and what would happen. This way, they could really fight the problem. Archie nodded and headed home. He had to do the preparation. Whale took his phone and with a sight, dialed Hook's number.

It was the mumbling voice of the pirate that answered the call. "Hello?" Whale went straight to the point. "Hook, Emma's in trouble, we need you."

 **What do you think of this chapter? Any idea on what's Emma's problem? Have any suggestion?**


	8. Chapter 8

Belle had been searching in the library for three days straight. Unfortunately, she found nothing. It was like this situation was unreal. But it had to be real! Her husband was having difficulty to sleep and she was sure it was connected with the nightmares Emma was having. She just needed to find the link between all of this. Closing the book she was holding in her hands, she put it in back in the shelf with a sight. _It has to be somewhere!_ Earlier, she searched in all the books that explained magic or dreams. She was slowly losing hope. She sat on one of the table and dialed Rumple's number on her cellphone. He didn't answered. _He is probably busy looking for a solution like I am._ Belle didn't appreciate magic but she realised that without it, his problem would be a lost cause. So, she let him used it. Not that she had a lot to say in the matter. _But still_.

She decided she needed some fresh air. She locked the library and got out. She walked for a half hour. Feeling the air on her face. It's wasn't cold, just a perfect temperature if you were dressed correctly. With a jacket, it would have been perfect. But Belle forgot her jacket in her hurry of getting out of her work place. Realising she was in front of the hospital, she decided to go inside. This way, she could warmed herself a little bit and go discussed with some of the workers. She hadn't had a proper conversation since Emma came back and she missed it.

As she used the coffee machine to do a hot chocolate, she heard patients talking to each other or to other patients. One of the conversation got her attention. But it wasn't one of the patient talking, but someone she knew. She recognized Hook's voice. He was talking to two others man but she couldn't identified them. When Hook mentioned Emma's name, she started listening attentively. "Emma is in danger. I told you guys." Said Killian trying to hide his disappointment.

"How can we be sure?" asked a voice.

"Prophecy"

"But it's just some words…"

"Emma's medical condition is exactly like it was describe."

 _Emma's medical condition?_ What was happening? Where was Emma? Belle had so many questions. She resisted the urge of interrupting the conversation that was going on between the men. She turned around and decided she needed to see her husband to talk about it. As she did it, she saw Dr. Whale and Archie talking to Hook. _Something is definitely going on._

"What do you mean Emma's in the hospital?"

"I don't know for sure. But something is happening. It's important."

When Belle arrived at the shop, she was so stressed that Rumple stopped what he was doing instantly noticing something was wrong. He listening carefully without asking any questions. But now that Belle had stop talking. His mind was racing with thoughts. Something was going on and he could feel it in his bones. And unfortunately, it has a link with the story of the nightmares. He thanked Belle and disappeared in a purple smoke. He was gone to the hospital.

He appeared in the waiting room. He saw his mortal enemy soon enough and started walking in his direction. He asked the doctors to show him Emma not bothering to talk to Hook. They tried to resist but by the look he was given them, they nodded and showed him Emma's room. It wasn't a long walk and Mr. Gold recognised Emma's screams. Archie awkwardly opened the door and told him he could take a look at her condition but not too long because they needed to do some tests on her.

As he walked into the room, he had to take a deep breath. His muscles tensed. Everything was dark but he could distinguished her shadow. She was laying on the bed, tossing and turning. She was wide awake. "What happened to you…" murmured Rumplestilskin under his breath. As the sound of his voice, Emma stopped moving. She abruptly sat and stop shouting. With intensity, she looked into his eyes. "Neal?" she asked with a tiny voice.

Sighting, he took a seat next to Emma. Emma's mind was in another world. She was having more than a mental break down, for sure. He zooned out for a good minute while Emma's gaze was still on his face, He finally noticed he hadn't answer her. He calmly denied that he was, in fact, not Neal. Emma just stare at him without moving. After a moment, she took a deep breath and blurted: "I can't sleep"

"I can imagine". Emma seemed distracted, but was still looking directly into his eyes. He didn't feel uncomfortable. She needed the little comfort he could give her. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

"I lost track." Mr. Gold nodded. What could he say? _Nothing._ She needed to talk, even if it was simple sentences. It was going to solve the mystery, he felt it.

"I want some hot chocolate. (30 seconds passed) I think I'm sick. (45 seconds passed) Do you feel it? (1 minute) It was the best. (1:15 minute) Soulmate for sure. (2 minutes)" And then her eyes went red for half a second. It was all it took to make her break down, again. She fell on her bed and started acting like she was having a seizure. The last thing he heard before she started shouting irrelevant things was the name of his son. He looked at her for the last time and snapped his fingers so he could come back to the shop. He searched for Belle and saw her standing on the tip of her toes to reach something on a shelf. "Everything alright Belle?" By the sound of his voice, Belle turned around and smile in guit. "Yeah, just trying to reach your spell book. I know I'm not supposed to used it, but I was desperate and-"

Rumple interrupted her: "It's okay dearie. I know how you feel. But there's no need anymore."

"Why"

"Because I found Miss Swan's problem. We were searching for the wrong thing. Go in the library and look for "double identity"".


	9. Chapter 9

"It's written here that double identity is a rare magical condition. It occurs when someone experimented a trauma. The repercussions are seen in dreams at first but it can escalate drastically in a short amount of time. There's an example of a case that happen 200 years before present time. It was a prince that saw his beloved wife get rape by his best friend. He killed her shortly after she was sexually arrested. The prince was having a lot of nightmares about the situation and some day, he even started day dreaming. It got the best of him and he slowly and painfully died. His parents contacted a wizard and after a medical procedure, they realised that in his dream's, he brought life to the princess without realising it. He was thinking so much about her that he never let her go to heaven. This way, she got stuck in the prince's head, but she was still….alive. Unfortunately, they both died." Belle was reading from a big red book to Rumplestliskin. The more she read, the more she was confused." I thought you couldn't bring back the dead…" She glared at him, hoping he could solve the mystery.

"If I'm being honest with you, dear, I thought the same."

Belle nodded uncertain but she continued reading: "It's one of the few cases about this magical situation. Every person that experimented it was killed by "them self" not knowing how to react. There's no spell that was developed strong enough to help. It's one of the most tragic death because their condition will stay like that for about 2 years before the curse really hit them and they die... It's a difficult situation for the victim. They are conscience of this problematic, but they don't understand how they are feeling so trapped in their body and they don't have fully control on their actions. Sometimes, they feel like there's two voices in their head having a conversation but there's nothing they can do to stop it."

Mr. Gold had close his eyes, listening to Belle's voice. He loved it so much, her accent was so cute and different. He opened his eyes and tried to act like nothing was happening inside him. It was not the time for sure. This would have to wait. He looked at her with a smile that seemed to express his gratitude: "I guess we have to find a way to save Ms. Swan, don't we?"

Belle caught a glare of his look that indicated that he didn't want to this, but it was soon replaced with a fierce expression. She was glad that he was doing this, even though he knew it was linked to the fact that his son was kind of still alive. _But would he still be alive at the end of this journey?_

After a moment of comfortable silence while they both seemed to think about the situation, Belle decided to ask the question that had been on her mind since he arrived from the hospital: "How are you?" He looked surprised by the question. He just shrugged, didn't really know how he felt with all this drama. His son was still alive…but at the same, he wasn't.

Xx

 _"_ _What am I doing here?", "We're trapped.", "Why?", "You are crazy.", "You are me." , "NO STOP THIS YOU ARE KILLING BE! GET OUT! I HATE YOU!", "I can't stop, I'm right here!", "LEAVE ME ALONE! I FUCKING HATE YOU!"_

Xx

"What's new with her condition" asked Archie to his partner.

"I ran some test on her but it did nothing. It's not a medical problem for sure. On the bright side, she started talking. To herself, still, but at least she screams less everyday"

"It's magic so neither of us can help."

Dr. Whale shook his head. _Hook was going to be mad for sure._ By the look on his face, Archie knew what he was thinking about. He tried to reassure him by giving a weak smile. "We have nothing to worry about." To that, Whale shook his head again. "He loves her, we have everything to worry about. He's a bloody pirate."

"We have nothing to worry about because he are going to solve the mystery."

"I don't think there's a lot of mystery to unfold, dearies" Said an amused voice. Mr. Gold had appeared in the office of Dr. Whale at the hospital, needing to talk to them about the situation.

"Rumplestilskin." They both said at the same time under their breath.

"You can't take care of Emma anymore. I solved the mystery. I'll be taking her body and bringing her body into my shop where Belle will take care of her while I find a way to save her."

"And if we refuse?" asked Archie. With a grin, Mr. Gold explained to him that they wouldn't refuse. They had no choice. With that, he disappeared in purple smoke. He firstly went into Emma's cell and came back to his shop. Belle was already waiting for him. She had made a bed and served three glasses of water.

"Why is she so calm?" asked Belle with concern taking a sip of her glass.

"I put a sleeping spell on her, she'll wake up tomorrow." Belle nodded. She went to take a book on a lonely shelf of the shop. She wasn't really great with spells and all that but she still wanted to help her friend. She decided to do what she was good at. Reading. She took a seat next to the bed and opened the book. _Maybe it will help her, who knows?_

"Hi Emma, I know you are still asleep but I thought I could read you a story. It's called Great Expectation by Charles Dickens. Neal once told me it was his favorite book because he could relate to Pip. I guess it's because he got his true love with Estella at the end of the book and I guess he was rooting for the same thing with you. Anyway, I'll start! Chapter 1 "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip…" For about an hour, Belle read to Emma. Rumple had smile at her the whole time. She was being so damn cute. She started yawning.

"I think it's time for bed, my dear."

"I guess it is. Are you coming with me?" He shook negatively his head. He had work to do. He looked at Belle vanishing into the house with a grin. He loudly sighted as he focus is attention once again on Emma. _What am I going to do with you, dear?_


	10. Chapter 10

Mary Margaret had called sick to work. She didn't want to teach kids about irrelevant things. Usually, she really enjoyed it. But with Emma's back and all the drama that was surrounding her, she couldn't. Seeing these children would only make her think about hers. Emma was not fine. And she could pretend she hated what she did to them but at the end of the day she had to face the facts…Emma was her child and she couldn't stop loving her. She was only… _sick_. She had been strong long enough and at this point she just couldn't do it anymore. Snow understood. She hadn't had the easiest life. It was the opposite actually. She just wished she could help in any way. She was going to be present. She just needed to find how.

The woman get out of bed and started making breakfast. Her husband was still peacefully asleep and she wanted to surprise him. She made some pancakes with eggs and bacons. He _loved_ it. She carefully brought the food near the bed. She woke David with a good morning kiss. He slowly opened his eyes with a smile on his face.

"Smells good, darling. Thank you," David expressed.

Mary Margaret took a seat on the bed next to him and they both ate in silence before she broke it: "David, I know you are mad." The grin on his face disappeared. It was replaced by a tired expression mixed with an expression she could really define. She just noticed that he didn't want to talk about it but he knew he had no choice. He had anticipated this conversation. He just wished it would be later so they could appreciated each other company. It was rare that she shared a moment together with Emma being back. He loudly sighed and put his forks on the plate before he gently put it on the bedtable. He then looked at his wife: "I don't think mad would be the appropriate word to describe how I feel."

"Then, how would you describe it?" Mary Margaret ask carefully.

"I don't know… maybe disappointed…But even it doesn't quite fit. I don't know what I'm feeling Mary Margaret.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I just wished you would talk to me about it. You seem unhappy and I don't like seeing you like that…" David nodded but didn't answered her. Realising he wasn't going to talk, Snow continued: "What do you want?"

"A stable home,"  
"And you don't think we have it?"

"We used to but then, Emma left. And then she came back. But she wasn't really here because she is…..I don't know what she is! I don't understand what's happening and I just wish everything was like before. Before the curse. Before Regina casted it back in the Enchanted Forest. Everything was way better. I want our little girl Emma. I want her in my arms as I sing to her songs. I don't want this…tragedy. This whole town is a mess! And….I'm slowly losing hope that everything is going to be alright. Look at us now! We don't even know what's happening with our own daughter! I'm just…..Sick of all this." Tears had begun to form in David's eyes. When he stopped talking. He inhaled and exhale deeply but his breathing couldn't control his tears. They came rushing without stopping for a good minute. Mary Margaret took him in his arms. She didn't need to talk. He knew she was there and that was the important part.

They got interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Snow slowly got up and answered. Henry was there, standing side by side with Regina.

"Where's my mom?" Carefully asked Henry. He only needed to look into his grandmother eyes to know that Emma was not here. He brushed his hair before turning to look at Regina, Mary Margaret still speechless. Regina coughed, bringing the other woman back on Earth.

"Oh yeah, Emma… She's…somewhere."

"What does that mean?" Henry asked on the berg of crying. "Why nobody told me she was back? She's MY mom! You can't keep her away from me." Regina put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. He turned around and hid is face in his mother chest. She placed her arms around him to protect him, giving him a tight hug. She rubbed his back. She wanted him to be happy.

Mary Margaret interrupted their moment: "I hate to break it to you Henry, but we wanted Emma to see you. But the day she came back, she wasn't emotionally stable enough to be near you, and after…She started feeling…sick."

The last word caught Henry's attention. He violently turned around with questions in his eyes: "Sick?" Regina's voice echoed him. She didn't know Emma was sick. She didn't even know Emma was back before 20 minutes earlier when she heard Archie telling Henry the news. _What the well is going on?_

David got up from the bed, hearing the conversation. He rubbed his eyes and walked toward the door: "She's at the hospital. I guess she's having a mental breakdown. She'll be fine."

Henry asked timidly: "Is it because of my father, again?"

David and Mary Margaret both shrugged. They didn't know. Regina surprised everyone: "I guess she was so caught in bringing everyone happy ending that she forgot the most important person, herself." Henry smiled. His second mom had really changed and he was so proud of her.

"Why don't you guys stay? I'll make some hot chocolate and we can continue this conversation in the living room," Mary Margaret proposed.

Xx

 _"_ _Can't you hear me?"_

 _"_ _Who are you?"_

 _"_ _I don't know"_

 _"_ _Where are you?"_

 _"_ _I-In the same place that you are"_

 _"_ _That's impossible, I'm alone. Mr. Gold and Belle are in the shop. Nobody's in the back store with me."_

 _"_ _I'm in you, stupid"_

 _"_ _I know this voice"_

 _"_ _That's my voice! It's normal that you know it. We know each other since….a lot of years. I don't remember…"_

 _"_ _I don't recall..Why the fuck is my memory so blurry?"_

 _"_ _WHAT THE WELL!"_

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _I remember some crazy shit that never happened to me. Like the time I "had" my period. I was eleven..."_

 _"_ _You never had your period?"  
"I think I'm a man,"_

 _"_ _I thought you were me… And I can clearly say that I'm a woman."  
"I don't remember… I just remember things from my past that doesn't seem real."_

"STOP MESSING WITH ME! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD. I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT OF ME! I DON'T WANT YOU NEAR ME!"

 _"_ _Jeez, no need to scream out loud! I'm just here!"_


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the lovely reviews and the guest telling me to ignore the negatives feedback! It made my day. Like always, leave a review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter**

 _"_ _She had adopted Estella, she had as good as adopted me, and it could not fail to be her intention to bring us together. She reserved it for me to restore the desolate house, admit the sunshine into the dark rooms, set the clocks a-going and the cold hearths a-blazing, tear down the cobwebs, destroy the vermin—in short, do all the shining deeds of the young Knight of romance, and marry the Princess. I had stopped to look at the house as I passed; and its seared red brick walls, blocked windows, and strong green ivy clasping even the stacks of chimneys with its twigs and tendons, as if with sinewy old arms, had made up a rich attractive mystery, of which I was the hero. Estella was the inspiration of it, and the heart of it, of course. But, though she had taken such strong possession of me, though my fancy and my hope were so set upon her, though her influence on my boyish life and character had been all-powerful, I did not, even that romantic morning, invest her with any attributes save those she possessed. I mention this in this place, of a fixed purpose, because it is the clue by which I am to be followed into my poor labyrinth. According to my experience, the conventional notion of a lover cannot be always true. The unqualified truth is, that when I loved Estella with the love of a man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible. Once for all; I knew to my sorrow, often and often, if not always, that I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be. Once for all; I loved her none the less because I knew it, and it had no more influence in restraining me, than if I had devoutly believed her to be human perfection.-_ "

"Honey, you need to stop with this book. She can't hear us" Rumpelstiltskin said sighting.

 _"_ _I do"_ Thought Emma. But she couldn't talk. It was too much for her. Her head was spinning and she felt so small in her own body. On the bright side, when Belle was reading to her, she felt better. It was hard to explain, but it seemed like everything was going to be alright and she was going to escape her demons once for all. She was taking fully control on herself. But the moment she stopped everything was back to "normal" and she was a mess, again.

"I like to think that I'm helping her… or him. What are you doing to help her?" Asked Belle a little bit angry.

"It's just a stupid book-"

"What did you say?" Belle was suddenly red. She hated people assuming things on books. It was her passion. _It had helped them in the past. He couldn't think that reading was stupid. For goodness sake._

"I-I don't…I-"

"What did you say?!" Belle repeated louder.

"Belle-"

"It's not a stupid book. Books aren't stupid. I'm helping with the best I can. We need to do something about this. Or else Emma is going to die! And I can assure you that I'm not going to forget it. Probably neither Henry, Snow nor Charming are going to talk to you. WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT EMMA'S CONDITION. You are doing nothing. At least I'm trying." At this point, Belle was screaming. The neighbours were probably hearing everything. _Who cares?_ She just couldn't take his ignorance anymore.

"I'm trying!" Pleaded Mr. Gold.

"Prove it"

"..." He was speechless.

"Exactly. I'm going out."

"Belle, don't go. We need to sort things out."

"You do."

With that, Belle rushed to the door and shout it loudly leaving her husband in the middle of the shop with a confused expression. She walked for about an hour before she decided she wanted some company. She opted for the Charming's one. They were good people, always smiling. She went to the apartment and knocked shyly. To her surprised, Regina was the one opening the door. She let her in and closed the door behind her.

"Hello, Belle"

"I hope I'm interrupting nothing. I just wanted some fresh air." Belle explained shyly.

"Something happened?" Snow asked. The shy nod answered her question. Belle's expression seemed to express that she didn't want to talk about it, so they all decided to ignore it. Snow took a mental note to talk to Belle when they'll be alone.

"I have some news. Emma is presently in the shop. We are all trying to cure her. She is dealing with double identity which means that Neal is…in her. Long story…" Changing the subject, Belle tried to explain the situation.

They talked for the night about the symptoms and how they could save her. Belle tried to explain all that she remember from her _stupid_ books.

Xx

 _"_ _Emma, is it you?"_

 _"_ _I think"_

 _"_ _How are you?"_

 _"_ _Tired, you?"_

 _"_ _Tired"_

 _"_ _I wish we could rest"_

 _"_ _We can't rest"  
"I know"_

 _"_ _Belle was reading a nice book, my favorite."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"_ _Pip get Estella at the end"_

 _"_ _Like you and me? I think I remember you."_

 _"_ _I didn't get you, I died"_

 _"_ _You are still alive"_

 _"_ _I'm you and you are me or I don't know…So I guess yeah, you're right"_

 _"_ _Do you think we'll be able to save ourselves?"_

 _"_ _If we do, I promise, I'm going to marry you"_

 _"_ _Maybe I'll say yes. If I know who you are."  
"I know you will. I'll never stop fighting for you"_

 _Xx_

It's been a week since Emma hadn't scream. Maybe in fact, Belle had help Emma. Maybe it calmed Neal. _I hope._ Rumpelstiltskin knew he hadn't been doing a lot of things to help Emma. But he didn't know what could possibly help her. He thought of True Love kiss. It had helped the Charmings, cure the town and many more. The only problem was that her soulmate was inside her. And Neal was inside his. So they couldn't really kiss. He didn't want to ask Hook to do it because he knew it wasn't going to solve anything. Hook wasn't Emma soulmate. He was just a _bloody pirate_. Maybe he thought he was in love with Emma, but Emma wasn't feeling the same thing. Anyway, Hook couldn't help Neal because they were far from soulmates.

He sat down on a chair behind his desk. He was exhausted. He hadn't had a proper night of sleep since a year. The bags under his eyes grew bigger each day. He wished he could just go to bed and have a god night of sleep. But he knew it wasn't going to end up that way. He would have nightmares all night that would make him even more deprived of sleep. He would finally get up and end up at the place he was currently. He would only lost some precious time if he did it. He decided against it and got up to examine Emma.

Brushing hair from her face, he noticed that she seemed happily asleep, but he knew better than to trust Emma's smile. She was fighting the biggest war she would ever had to face. Looking at the window behind him, hoping to see Belle coming, he noticed the sun had gone up. Another day was starting. He bitted his bottom lip. He decided it was time to open the shop. Maybe he was going to have some customers today. As he placed the "open" cardboard, he got an idea. He knew how he was going to help Emma. He should have thought about it at the beginning! He closed the door and ran towards his desk where his cellphone was hidden.

He dialed Belle's number. With all his excitement, he had to do it five time before he finally had the correct numbers. He pressed the "call" button. Belle answered with a raspy voice at the last ring.

"Belle, I found it my dear! I know how to save Emma" Rumpelstiltskin almost shouted.


	12. Chapter 12

**Short chapter, sorry! Don't forget to review! I appreciate it!**

As Mr. Gold requested, the whole family came down to his store. It was a few minutes later. The sun had finally set up in the sky. They were no clouds to be seen. It felt like the perfect day. The perfect day to save Emma. The perfect say to save his son.

As the sight of the whole "family", Rumpelstiltskin smiled. He was going to do well. He was going to save the day and Belle would be proud. She would forgave him for what he said. He would see his son again and everything was going to work out for the best. Everything was going to be alright.

When they first noticed Emma laying in a bed, unconscious, everyone started freaking out. It began with David shouting something incoherent. As his voice disappeared, it was soon replaced by screams from every member of the family telling him that he was supposed to keep her alive, not kill her. The only silent ones were Belle and Henry. Belle was looking nervously at her husband while Henry was looking at his mother speechless. Rumpelstiltskin was looking at his feet. He wasn't usually nervous. He used to be really powerful; people were scared of him. A situation like that wouldn't have happen. But where he was, nervous as hell, trying to do good for his wife and his son. He was really changing. He just wished people could notice it.

Belle was the one to zone out of her trance first and clapped her hands loudly so everyone could shut up. "We should listen to him, first". The whole family froze and put their attention back to Rumpelstiltskin. He nodded before he started explaining his idea.

"I think we need Tue Love kiss for Emma AND Neal."

David shrugged. He knew what that meant but before they were going to save his little girl, he needed to do something. He slowly walked to the bed while Mr. Gold was finishing explaining what needed to be done.

"Hey you. I suck right now and I just hope you don't hate me. I know you can hear me and I just hope you can forgive me. I acted like a jerk and you didn't deserved it. You deserve a happy family that supports you. And that is what you are going to have from now. I promise. I know what true love is. I felt it the first time I put my eyes on your mother and sometimes, love makes you do crazy things. I should've known better than pushing you out of my life and I hope we can move forward when things go back to normal. I love you, Emma. You'll always be my daughter. I hope I'm still your family."

Mary Margaret had shown up behind David squeezing his shoulder. She whispered in his ear: "I'm proud of you". He got up and he let Henry replaced him.

"Are you sure I can save them" Asked Henry shyly. To that, Mr. Gold nodded "You are the product of true love, like your mother." He shook his head before he took a step forward. His feet were touching the bench were the bed had been done.

Emma seemed to be peacefully asleep. She had regular breathing. She was laying on her back, so you could see her face. Her blond hair hadn't been brushed in days. The only thing reflecting her pain was the contraction of her muscle. Her eyebrows were frown and her jaws was oddly contracted. It was discreet but as his son Henry could see it easily. It made her seemed like she was in pain. _She was._

He loudly exhale. With a nervous expression, he bent down. He breathed one last time before he gently pout his lips on Emma's forehead trying to act what she did 5 years ago when she saved him.

 _"_ _Mom, it's me, Henry. I just want you to know that I love you and that I forgive you. For leaving. I was really angry, you know. I felt betrayed, like you never loved me and that dad was more important to you. But I realised that it wasn't the case. You were sick mom and you were really courageous. I'm proud of you. And I'm proud of you too, dad. You came back even if you knew it was going to be hard. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you. You were and still are a fantastic dad. And when you both come back from the dead, we'll be a happy family for real. We'll leave in the same house and each day, I'll wake up to my mother and father happily together. I love you both. Just stay strong."_

He kissed his mom one last time before he back up and a white light emerged. It was violent. It was impossible to see anything. They all close their eyes otherwise they would've end up blind. The windows of the shop broke. A high sound could be heard. Trying to protect their eyes and their ears, they all missed the transformation happening. It went on for about a minute. A minute of pain. After it, everyone was exhausted, like their energy needed to be drained so they could save Emma. Henry, being the one giving the power of true love to save them, was breathing heavily. His heart was beating so fast.

They all had a blurry vision, and they needed to sit down to stop their head from turning. When they finally had control of their body, they opened their eyes and saw two body in front of them. A blonde woman on the bed and a dark hair man lying on the ground. Regina got up and ran toward the body. The rest of the "family" was still speechless. She firstly went to see Emma's condition. With a sight, she sent a thumbs up. She walked to Neal and her face dropped.

"Oh fuck!"


End file.
